Dining Spotlight: Pub Flair

At Porter Ale House and Gastropub, the focus is on upscale comfort food

By Kimya Kavehkar

Published: June 30, 2014

Photo by Claire Hogan

After working together at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan and the Hyatt Lost Pines resort in Bastrop, Neil Joiner and Joe Bixel bring an earned sense of sophistication to the casual 78704 neighborhood with Porter Ale House and Gastropub. With 28 craft brews on tap and patio seating, it shows some similarity to other watering holes in South Austin, but the decadent, carefully created menu sets it apart. You’ll find all the classics, from burgers to chicken and waffles, but with more complexity. The Porter Burger, made with short rib and brisket meat mixed with butter and a secret ingredient, is topped with pancetta, Brie and garlic aioli on a terla bun. It’s worth every calorie. As is the sweet and savory curried chicken thighs with waffles, sweet potato puree and cinnamon butter. It’s comfort food that’s special, but not overly froufrou. “We’ve always worked at high-end restaurants, but we didn’t want to go back to that four-star kind of thing,” Bixel says. Adds Joiner, “We can walk in here any day and make a Hostess cupcake or we can make watercress consommé, and I think that’s what we liked about Austin’s dining scene—it’s playful and fun.”